Atmospheric ‘Alan Wake’s American Nightmare’ Launch Trailer

With less than a week left before the launch of Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, the offshoot successor to Remedy’s cult hit title, it was time to take all we’ve learned about the game thus far, everything from the game’s new inspirations to its more arcade style set-up, and put all that into action. And what better way to tie all those ideas together than an awesome launch trailer.

Narrated with a pseudo Twilight Zone voice over, this American Nightmare trailer is exactly what fans of the series were hoping for. Though Remedy Entertainment made claims that the game would be more approachable, and faster paced, it’s plain to see that signature hallmarks of the first title are returning, namely the extremely moody atmosphere.

What isn’t clear from the trailer, however, is the game’s new storyline, which sees Wake on a quest across America to make his peace with Mr. Scratch, his sinister alter ego, seen more recently in the DLC side story The Writer. Unlike the protagonist of Alan Wake proper, though, this Alan Wake is well versed in combating dark creatures, and brings with him a whole wealth of handy new tools, most of which double as a light source.

See how far Alan Wake has come in the trailer below:

httpv://youtu.be/Dg02_suSIAQ

Part of what makes this franchise so unique is its ability to craft a compelling story and combine it with unique mechanics. This time around Remedy is tooling around with this formula some, but keeping most of the series’ signature elements in tact. There was some apprehension when the Fight till Dawn mode was announced that too much of the game’s appeal had been lost, but from the moment this trailer’s narration kicked in most of that fear was assuaged.

Now it’s all about counting down the days until Alan Wake’s American Nightmare releases, which at this moment is only four, and stocking up on batteries.

What element of Alan Wake are you most excited to get reacquainted with in American Nightmare? Where do you hope that Remedy made improvements?

Alan Wake’s American Nightmare releases February 22, 2012 for the XBLA.